Readington educator replaces Warren superintendent who is going to Millburn

Stephen Stirling/New Jersey Local News ServiceWarren School Board President Gregory Przybylski and the district's new superintendent Tami Crader.

READINGTON — In a game of educational musical chairs, the Warren Board of Education announced that Readington Assistant Superintendent Tami Crader will replace their longtime superintendent James Crisfield, who is leaving to helm the Millburn School District this summer.

The Warren Board of Education approved Crader’s contract Tuesday night and the 21-year education veteran will begin a five-week stint as interim superintendent starting July 1. She will serve as interim superintendent, visiting the district one day a week, through August as she transitions from Readington.

In a phone interview, Crader said she was excited to get started in the district which she said values community, character and academic excellence.

“You can feel that right away,” said Crader, who met with many of the staff and students in the district Monday. “I was so impressed with the pride the students, staff and parents take in their school district.”

Crader said she was particularly impressed with how the staff handles themselves with professionalism in the classroom despite ongoing financial turmoil in the state and persistent squabbles between educator unions and Gov. Chris Christie’s administration.

“New Jersey has a PR problem in education and I think the more teachers can remove their students from that the better off they’ll be,” she said. “In Warren, you would never know walking into the classrooms that any of this was happening.”

Crader comes to the district with a doctorate in education from Seton Hall. For the last four years she has served as the assistant superintendent in the Readington School District.

Crader said the vetting process for the superintendent’s job was vigorous, but the Board of Education treated her with respect.

“They made me feel like they were lucky to have me,” she said.

Crader will replace Crisfield, who will take over as Millburn’s superintendent after 11 years of holding the position in Warren.

Crisfield said he was excited for the new challenges presented by Millburn, but will be sad to leave.

“We’ve been able to attain a very broad spectrum of achievement here in Warren,” he said. “There’s no question about it. I have such fond memories of my time here in Warren. The people in the school are great and it’s just been so supportive. It will be hard to leave that behind.”